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City Hall gets into the toll business

Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, it appears, is about to go into toll collection on its roads. Plans are afoot to collect tolls along its portion of Jalan Kelang Lama. Provision for gantries and toll booths have been made, the road widened at the Kuala Lumpur end of the road. The already choked road is about to be more so. That stretch has never attracted official concern, if only because it is Chinese and prone to support the opposition, though the road is widened and improved dramatically once it leaves the Chinese area and city boundaries. City Hall has given up the ghost to provide municipal services as it would not in Malay areas. I have tried to check this out with the appointed National Front city councillors, and they claim to be in the dark. I took one to the site, and he seemed shocked. But my sources in City Hall are certain of the toll collection plans.

It is unlikely City Hall would be toll collector. A concessionaire would have been selection. So, when were tenders called? If tenders were not called, how was the concessionaire selected? Why has not the public advised about it? City Hall could justify collecting tolls if its stretch of Jalan Klang Lama was first upgraded at least to the standards of the Selangor part. As it is, the stretch on Jalan Klang Lama where toll is to be collected is horribly congested. It takes an hour and more on normal days to cross that stretch. If tolls are collected, the journey would be smooth and fast. There is no such intention. The stretch would not be improved. There would be no alternate route for those who would rather not pay the tolls. Voters who support the opposition deserve no such sympathy, in the BN's view of parliamentary democracy.

The area is targetted because it is a Chinese majority area, opposition prone, and tolls are imposed as a punishment. One must assume the National Front is behind it, since its nominated city councillors would have approved it. So, when did they discuss and approve this proposal? Why did they propose it? Why was Jalan Klang Lama selected, and not other areas of Kuala Lumpur? Unfortunately, the City Councillors are hostage to the civil servants running City Hall, and allow themselves to be led by the nose and approve any proposal put before it.

What is interesting in this exercise, the toll collection stops just before the Malay area of Jalan Klang Lama begins, for the city boundaries ends at the bridge just after the turn to Puchong. One cannot understand why Jalan Klang Lama should be a tolled road, but if it should be, it should not be limited to the Chinese section of the road. The City Hall's argument that the Malay and Indian area beyond is in Selangor does not hold water. That Malay and Indian area was where the riots took place last year. But the political reality is that if tolls are collected for that stretch, the area would rise in revolt yet again. So, it would not be.

But in the Chinese area, it does not matter: the fellows would opposition anyway. So, there is no loss. But one fact is ignored when such actions are taken in stealth: accountability. If city councillors are appointed because the BN would not want to face elections for the City Council in which it could lose control. So, only BN members are appointed. This presumes they would look after the people's interest. But they do not. And leave it to the civil servants running City Hall to run riot. As they are. Look what happened in Ipoh, when the Mayor decided to change non-Malay road names and the city councillors went along. Would some one come clean on this?

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@mgg.pc.my